SOFTBALL

Catawba Sweeps Softball in Home Opener 3-1 and 8-0

MISENHEIMER, N.C. - Catawba swept host Pfeiffer in softball action on Wednesday afternoon at Ingram Field. The Catawba Indians won by the scores of 3-1 and 8-0 to improve to 5-1. The Falcons fall to 0-4.

Carly Sabatís (Warren, OH) two-out single in the sixth lifted the Lady Indians in the opener. Amanda Terry (Cordova, NC) had doubled with two outs and moved to third on a wild pitch. Tara Gibbs (Waynesville, NC) added an insurance run as she homered to lead off the seventh.

Catawba struck first getting a run in the second inning with the aid of a pair of Pfeiffer errors. Casey Baucom (Marshville, NC) scored the run when a ground ball by Alli Justice (Bishopville, MD) with two outs was misplayed. The Lady Indians had chances to build a bigger advantage, but left eight runners on in the first three frames.

Pfeiffer pulled even in the fourth with back-to-back doubles. Celia Dew (Sanford, NC) led off with a two-bagger and Sarah Waylock (Cary, IL) drove her home. Catawba stranded another runner in the fifth after Kayla Myers (Bryson City, NC) tripled with one out. The Falcons loaded the bases in their fifth with one out, but failed to score.

Brittany Murray (Asheboro, NC) scattered four hits to improve to 3-0 for Catawba. She walked four and struck out three. Gibbs and Myers each had two hits. Allison Braswell took the loss for Pfeiffer, tossing the complete game.

Justice put the Lady Indians out front in game two with a solo homer with two outs in the first. Justice helped Catawba expand the lead with a two-run double in a four-run third. Gibbs added a RBI single and Erin Witalison (Gold Hill, NC) had a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-0.

Gibbs connected on a home run to start the Catawba fifth to stretch the advantage to 7-0. Freshman Emily Huneycutt (Locust, NC) tossed the one-hit shutout in game two. She went five innings, allowing no walks with four strikeouts.

Gibbs picked up three hits in the nightcap, while Justice had two. Catawba banged out 10 hits in each win. Hannah Jackson (Greensboro, NC) had the lone Falcon hit in game two.